Studio Brief 02 - Typeface Design - Brief Interpretation and Initial Research

Studio brief 02 requires the creation of my own bespoke typeface, which should effectively communicate my own given adjective. The typeface should be based on one of Müeller-Brockmanns classic and lead typefaces, these being:

• Garamond 

• Caslon 

• Baskerville

• Bodoni 

• Clarendon 

• Berthold

• Times

• Helvetica 

• Univers

The objective of the brief is to re-purpose letterforms to work together in endless combinations in a harmonious, consistent sequence.

The adjective I was given was "faint." My first step in the production was to research and establish the meanings of the word and those that are associated with it. These are evidenced below:

"Faint"

Adjective

1. (of a sight, smell, or sound) barely perceptible.
    "the faint murmur of voices"
Synonyms:

indistinct, vague, unclear, indefinite, ill-defined, obscure, imperceptible, hardly noticeable, hardly detectable, unobtrusive.

2. Feeling weak and dizzy and close to losing consciousness.
    "the heat made him feel faint"

Synonyms:
dizzy, giddy, light-headed, muzzy, weak, weak at the knees, unsteady, shaky, wobbly, off-balance, reeling;

1. 
   

   • 
     

     
     
   •  "the heat made him feel fain

Verb

1. lose consciousness for a short time because of a temporarily insufficient supply of oxygen to     the brain."I fainted from loss of blood"


Synonyms:

pass out, lose consciousness, fall unconscious, black out, collapse.

Noun

1. a sudden loss of consciousness.

"she hit the floor in a dead faint"

Synonyms:

blackout, fainting fit, loss of consciousness, collapse.

Having looked at Müeller-Brockmanns typefaces and exploring the meanings and connotations of faint, I have come to the conclusion to explore only the sans-serif typefaces - Helvetica, Berthold and Univers - for use in the production of my typeface as I believe the decorative aesthetic of serif-typefaces would be in-appropriate in the communication of "faint" for the following reasons:

• In theory of legibility and readability, serif typefaces are said to be more easily perceived and so would be unsuitable for use in visually communicating a word that denotes imperceptibility and vagueness.
• In the act of fainting, a person loses control of their self - resulting in a loss off consciousness - they are not in a state of grace - as would be suggested by the use of a serif typeface. 
• In fainting, there is a loss of consciousness, sight and clear mind - making a un-embelished, stripped back to simple sans-serif letterforms the most appropriate direction for the bespoke type.

I will use my above findings and justifications as justification throughout the development of my typographic treatment.